Machine for running segmental gears



1 Dec. 13, 1955 O. F. BAUER ETAL MACHINE FOR RUNNING SEGMENTAL GEARS Filed June 18, 1952 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS OLIVER F. BAUER BY THEODORE H. PECK ATTORNEY Dec. 13, 1955 Q BAUER ET AL 2,726,488

MACHINE F OR RUNNING SEGMENTAL GEARS Filed June 18, 1952 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIGS INVENTORS OLIVER F. BAUER THEODORE H. PECK @W/ QM ATTORNEY Dec. 13, 1955 o. F. BAUER ET AL MACHINE FOR RUNNING SEGMENTAL GEARS 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed June 18, 1952 INVENTORS OLIVER F. BAUER THEODORE H.PECK

ATTORNEY .run together.

United States Patent C MAHINE non RUNNING SEGMENTAL GEARS Oliver F. Bauer, East Rochester, and Theodore H. Peck, Irondequoit, N. Y., assignors to The Gleason Works, Rochester, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application June 18, 1952, Serial No. 294,234

Claims. (CI. 51-26) The present invention relates to a machine for running together pairs of gears, especially segmental bevel and hypoid gears, for testing, lapping or burnishing them. By segmental gear as used herein is meant either member of a pair of gears of which one or both members has one or more teeth omitted or is otherwise arranged so that the members cannot rotate continuously in mesh.

According to the invention the pair of segmental gears to be run together are mounted on drive and driven spindles journaled for rotation in supports that are adjustable relatively to each other upon the machine base to thereby bring gears into the desired running position. A reversible motor is connected to the drive spindle and a brake is provided for the driven spindle, to resist its rotation and thereby place the gears under load when they A reversing control means for the motor is provided, and also a means, movable in time with one spindle, for operating the control means. One of these means is adjustable to vary the position of said one spindle at which reversing occurs. By this adjustment the angle through which the spindles oscillate may be varied so that whatever the tooth segment angle the motor will reverse before the gears rotate out of proper mesh with each other.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention the motor is hydraulically operated. The reversing control means comprises a reversing valve, for controlling the direction of application of fluid pressure to the motor, and the means for operating the valve comprises a pair of elements movable in time with said one spindle, the elements being alternately engageable with the valve for effecting reversal of it. The elements are independently adjustable to vary the positions of the spindle at which the reversing occurs. The elements may be carried by the spindle and be adjustable angularly thereon, and the valve may be mounted on the spindle support with its movable part in the path of the elements for being alternately engaged and reversed by them as the spindle is rotated first in one direction and then in the other.

This preferred embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the machine with certain parts, including the drive spindle, appearing in section;

Fig. 2 is side elevation of the machine;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation, on a larger scale, of the drive spindle support;

Figs. 4 and 5 are detail sectional views taken in the planesindicated respectively at 44 and 5-5 in Fig. 3;

' and,

Fig. 6 is a diagram of the hydraulic and electrical circuits of the machine.

The machine comprises a base 11 on which are mounted spindle supports 12 and 13 in which there are respectively journaled on anti-friction bearings a drive spindle 14 and a driven spindle 15. The drive spindle is connected to a motor 16 by means of a pulley 17, endless belts 18, and a pulley 19 on the motor shaft. The support 12 is ad- Patented Dec. 13, 1955 justable along horizontal ways, in a direction transaxial of spindle 14, by a screw 21 to which handwheel 22 is secured. Another screw operated by handwheel 23 similarly provides for adjustment of a slide 24 along horizontal ways in a direction transaxial of spindle 15, and the support 13 is adjustable vertically, by means of a screw 25, upon a column 26 rising from the slide. By adjustment of wheels 22 and 23 and screw 25, a segmental gear G on spindle 15 and a segmental pinion P on spindle 14 may be brought into the desired running position. The support 12 may be rapidly moved in the direction of spindle 15 to and from the adjusted position, for the purpose of placing gears G and P on the machine or removing them, by a suitable power operated, means with which may be associated a means for obtaining a preselected amount of backlash between the gears.

These means, which include a floating carrier 27 pivoted to the support 12 and containing the anti-friction bearings that journal the spindle 14, are controlled by elements 28 to 31 inclusive. The arrangementis substantially as disclosed in O. F. Bauer Patent No. 2,582,408 granted January 15, 1952. As there described the lever elements here designated 30 are set in different positions to provide either for a predetermined backlash being effected by motion of carrier 27 in support 12, or for locking of the carrier solidly in the support, or for allowing the carrier to float in the support under a light spring load. The latter condition is provided to enable the gears being tested to be rolled together by hand. In such testingany motion of the carrier in the support, reflecting runout or eccentricity of the gears, is shown'by a dial indicator 32. When the levers 30 are positioned to provide for such floating of the carrier, they hold open a switch 33 (Fig. 6), to prevent power operation of the machine. Otherwise this switch is closed.

The pinion P is chucked upon an arbor 34 secured to the nose of spindle 14, being clamped to the arbor by an hydraulic chucking device 35 which acts on the pinion through a draw rod 36. By similar means an hydraulic chucking device 37 may chuck the gear G upon an arbor secured to spindle 15. The devices 35 and 37 may be controlled by the lever 28, as described in aforementioned Patent 2,582,408.

The spindle 15 may be locked against rotation while a gear G is being emplaced, the lock being operated by a handle 38. A constant-drag brake, to impose a predetermined load upon rotation of the spindle 15, is applied or released by a handle 39. However the lock and brake are not essential to the present invention and hence are not illustrated. Extending around the spindle 15 is a band brake 4%) (Fig. 2) actuated by a lever 41. This lever is held in its upper position by a spring (not shown) and is moved downwardly to apply the brake. closed limit switch 42 (Figs. 2 and 6) mounted in the support 13 is held open by the lever in its. uppermost posi tion but closes upon initial downward motion of the lever.

As shown in Fig. 6 the motor 16 preferably is of a positive displacement type having a plurality of pistons 43 reciprocatable in cylinders in the motor body and acting to rotate a Wobbler plate 44 secured to the shaft 45 on which pulley 19 is mounted. An eccentric 46 on the rotating shaft gyrates an annular valve 47 to control flow of fluid between annular ports 48 and 49 and the inner ends of the cylinders.

motor operates in one direction; and when port 49 is. on pressure and port 48 on exhaust, .the motor operates A normally The valve has. concentric inner and outer parts defining therebetween' in the opposite direction. Hydraulic pressure for operating the motor 16 is provided by a motor operated pump P which draws liquid from a sump 51 in the base 11 and discharges it into a main pressure line 52 in which the maximum pressure is limited by the relief valve designated V-REL. Flow through line 52, and hence the speed of the motor 16, is controlled by a manually adjustable throttle valve V-T. Also interposed in pressure line 52 is a solenoid operated valve 53 which closes the line (the condition shown in Fig. 6) when its left winding is energized and opens the line when its right winding is energized. Line 52 terminates in branches S4 and 55 leading respectively to the control chamber of a shuttle valve 56 and to a reversing valve 57. Also connected to the latter is an exhaust line 58 which extends to the sump 51. A branch exhaust line 59 extends from the control chamber of the shuttle valve 56.

The reversing valve 57 controls the shuttle valve 56 and for this purpose lines 61 and 62 extend from it to the respective operating chambers at the left and right ends of the shuttle valve. Lines 63 and 64 extend from the respective motor ports 48 and 49 to the control chamber of the shuttle valve. A check valve designated V-CK is interposed in the pressure line 54.

The valve 57 is mounted on the support 12 and comprises a rotary core 65 movable between a first position shown in Fig. 6, wherein it connects pressure line 55 to line 61, and line 62 to exhaust line 58, and a second position at approximately 45 counterclockwise from that shown. In this second position it connects pressure line 55 to line 62, and line 61 to exhaust line 58. The valve is held in either position by a spring backed pin 66 (Fig. carried by the core 65 seating in one or the other of two detent recesses 67 in the valve body. Secured to the core in axially spaced relation to each other are two valve actuating fingers 68 and 69 adapted to be engaged respectively by elements 71 and 72 on the spindle 14. These elements are adjustable to any desired position around the spindle, being secured thereto by bolts whose heads are disposed in an annular T-slot 73 in the spindle. The elements are of such length as to move the fingers 68 and 69 only through the angle required for pin 66 to move from one recess 67 to the other. As shown in Fig. 4 the tips of elements 71 and 72 are spaced slightly from each other in a direction axial of the spindle so that element 71 is engageable only with finger 68 and element 72 only with finger 69. A relay 74 controls the solenoid switch 53, and the relay winding is connected across electric leads 75 and 76 in series with switches 33 and 42, and with a manually closed, spring opened switch 77 located on the front of the machine.

To operate the machine, the operator presses switch 77 closed and also applies pressure to lever 41 which closes switch 42, these two controls requiring both hands and thus constituting a protective arrangement. Assuming that the gears G and P have been brought into mesh and that the switch 33 controlled by levers 30 is also closed, relay 74 is energized upon the closing of switches 77 and 42, so that the right contact of the relay closes and thereby energizes the right winding of solenoid operated valve 53. This allows pressure from pump P to flow through lines 52 and 54 to operate the motor 16.

When line 52 is open and valve core 65 is in the position shown in Figs. 3 and 6, pressure applied through line 61 holds the shuttle of valve 56 in its right limit position, as shown, Accordingly pressure is applied via lines 54 and 63 to port 48 of the motor, causing it to operate to rotate the pinion spindle 14 and pinion P in the direction indicated by the arrow 78 in Fig. 3. Slightly before the pinion reaches its limit position of mesh with gear G, the element 71 engages pin 68 and moves the valve core counterclockwise, thereby connecting passages 55 and 58 respectively to passages 62 and 61. This causes the shuttle of valve 56 to move to the left, applying pressure to motor port 49 and connecting port 48 to exhaust line 59, thereby causing the motor to operate in the opposite direction, turning the pinion P oppositely to the arrow 78. This motion continues until, slightly before the pinion reaches its opposite limit position of mesh with its mate G, the element 72 engages pin 69 and moves the valve core 65 clockwise to the position of Figs. 3 and 6, which again causes the spindle 14 to rotate in the direction of arrow 78, completing one cycle of operation. So long as the switches 33, 42 and 77 remain closed the operation just described will continue to repeat. However, as soon as either switch 77, 42 or 33 is opened the relay 74 is de-energized, thereby closing its left contact and energizing the left winding of solenoid valve 53 with resulting closing of the pressure line 52 and stopping of the motor 16. The lever 28 may now be operated to withdraw the head 12 and dechuck the gears G and P.

During operation of the machine, at the moment shuttle valve 56 is reversed, the momentum of the motor 16, spindles 14 and 15, and gears P and G, may cause the motor to tend to act as a pump. The check valve V-CK, by preventing reverse flow in line 54, prevents such pumping action and thereby prevents overtravel of the gears which might cause them to run out of mesh with each other.

Having now described the construction and operation of a preferred embodiment, What we claim as our invention is:

l. A machine for running together pairs of segmental gears for testing, lapping, burnishing or the like, comprising a base, a drive spindle and a driven spindle, supports journaling the spindles and adjustable relatively to each other upon the base to thereby bring gears on the spindles into the desired running position, a reversible motor connected to the drive spindle, a brake for resisting rotation of the driven spindle, a reversing control means for said motor, and means mounted on one spindle and rotatable as a unit therewith for operating said control means to reverse the motor after rotation of said one spindle through a selected angle in each direction, one of said means being adjustable to vary the positions of said one spindle at which reversing occurs.

2. A machine according to claim 1 in which the motor is hydraulically operated, the reversing control means comprises a hydraulic reversing valve, and the means for operating the valve comprises a pair of elements mounted on said one spindle and alternately engageable with the valve for effecting reversal thereof, said elements being independently adjustable to vary the positions of said one spindle at which reversing occurs.

3. A machine for running together pairs of segmental gears for testing, lapping, burnishing or the like, comprising a base, a drive spindleand a driven spindle, supports journaling the spindles and adjustable relative to each other upon the base to thereby bring the gears into the desired running position, a reversible hydraulically operated motor connected to the drive spindle, a brake for resisting rotation of the driven spindle, a hydraulic reversing valve for controlling the motor, said valve being mounted on the support of one spindle, and a pair of valve operating elements carried by said one spindle for alternate engagement with the valve for effecting reversal thereof, said elements being independently adjustable upon said one spindle angularly of the latter.

4. A machine according to claim 3 in which the valve has an angularly movable part having axially spaced abutments respectively engaged by said elements, the engaging portions of the elements being spaced from each other axially of said one spindle.

5. A machine for running gears together for testing, lapping, burnishing or the like, comprising a base, a drive spindle and a driven spindle, supports journaling said spindles and adjustable relatively to each other to thereby bring gears on the spindles into the desired running posivalve in the path of flow to the motor, to prevent overrunning of the motor after reversal of the valve.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Rovick Sept. 30, 1941 Hopkins et al Sept. 9, 1947 Bauer Ian; 15, 1952 

